TeachTools was born from watching someone I deeply respect struggle under the weight of something that shouldn't be her burden.
My sister-in-law is a Special Education teacher. She's one of those people who was born to teach — patient, creative, endlessly compassionate. But over the years, I watched her come home exhausted, not from teaching, but from everything else. The worksheets. The IEPs. The grading. The lesson plans. The mountains of administrative work that ate into evenings, weekends, and time with her own family.
SPED teachers face an especially overwhelming paperwork burden on top of already demanding roles. Every student has unique needs. Every accommodation requires documentation. And while she was drowning in forms and spreadsheets, the kids who needed her most were waiting.
I'm a builder. I've spent over 15 years in tech — starting as a self-taught programmer, working on early product teams at Facebook and Reddit, mentoring thousands of startup founders at Amazon Web Services and Microsoft. I've seen how the right tools can transform what's possible.
So I built TeachTools for her. To make her life easier. To give her hours back. To let her do what she does best: teach.
Then I realized: every teacher deserves this. Whether you teach Special Ed, AP Chemistry, kindergarten, or high school English — you all face the same problem. Too much admin work, not enough time with students.
This isn't a faceless startup. It's personal. Teachers shaped who I am. And now I get to build something that gives back.